The Syrian National Coalition Calls for a No-fly Zone and Creation of Safe Spaces Inside Syria

Commenting after the European Parliament’s debate on Thursday, April 23, on the situation in Syria, the Syrian National Coalition Representative to the Benelux and the EU, Mouaffaq Nyrabia, said:

“Today’s debate by the European Parliament and human rights activists reaffirmed the Assad regime’s brutality, torture and violence against all Syrians across different ethnicities and religions. The systematic rule of tyranny has bred the extremism that threatens us all. The situation demands a comprehensive international response that will stop the extremists and in parallel tackle its root cause: Assad himself.

“Against this backdrop, I welcome the EU’s firm stance at the debate that Assad cannot be part of the fight against ISIL and that he cannot be part of a future Syria. Therefore the Syrian National Coalition reiterates its calls on the international community to urgently establish a no-fly zone across Syria to: provide immediate protection for millions of Syrians from the barrel bombs and chemical weapons; create safe spaces to allow free and unfettered access to aid urgently needed on the ground; to create the space for moderate and civilian structures to provide basic services to Syrians and stop extremists filling the ungoverned space; and begin to create conditions and space that will allow the return of Syrian refugees and stop so many Syrians risking their lives to flee their homes.

“As we enter the fifth year of the crisis, the situation in Syria is no longer just a Syrian or even regional problem. It poses a clear and present danger to international security. A comprehensive response – with a no-fly zone as a first step – is necessary to tackle this danger and provide the basis for a viable political transition to a future democratic and inclusive Syria for all Syrians.”